The Alpha and the Omega: Act II | Chapter 5
29 Aug 2018User1355
ACT II - WHEELCHAPTER 5
Arcturus Morgana killed his first man at the age of eighteen. His ship had been tethered to the other, not a Gal-Cop Quirium freighter but an independent vessel full of expensive marble from the Bubble. It would be a gift for his mother, his contribution to the construction of Dinas Wrach. Everything had proceeded as planned, the young man overseeing the transfer of cargo, walking the corridors of the dying vessel, consulting with a few of his more experienced mates as to if it would be worth trying to salvage.
The attack was reckless, but well-timed. The stricken ship’s first mate, paralysed with fear and shame, succumbed to panic and charged the young captain from a storage closet. Arcturus reacted swiftly, pulling his las-pisol and shooting a beam of energy through the man’s heart, his mag-boots holding him into place in the weightless environment even as cauterized chunks of blood floated from his chest. It had been so sudden, and his reaction so natural. The Morgana heir took a moment to look the dying man in the eyes, the two sharing a moment more intimate than he’d ever known.
Arcturus was young, but not a fool. He’d long known that his chosen trade was an oft-violent one, and knew that it was only a matter of time before either his or someone else’s blood would be shed. Without a word or additional glance he holstered his pistol, the two roughnecks at his sides as surprised as he but slower on the draw. In an almost bored tone Arcturus bade them to continue, paying the incident no outward heed but his thoughts a maelstrom.
For a long time Arcturus had wondered how he would react when the time came, if he would feel victory or guilt or revulsion at the taking of his first life. Now he knew. The voices of his subordinates faded away, a low background noise amid his thoughts.
Arcturus Morgana had taken the life of his fellow man, and Arcturus Morgana felt nothing.
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